Saradha scam: TMC MP Srinjoy Bose quits party, RS seat

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP Srinjoy Bose resigned from the party and also as Rajya Sabha MP today, barely a day after he was released on conditional bail in connection with the Saradha scam.

"Srinjoy Bose has resigned from the party and also as a member of Rajya Sabha," the party national spokesman Derek O'Brien told PTI.

In a statement put up on TMC's website, O'Brien said "It is Srinjoy's personal choice. It is his prerogative. It is his democratic right." "We have been saying for some time now that he (Bose) has been put under tremendous pressure by the party in power atthe Centre. He was released on bail yesterday. He resigned today. We are happy that he got 'freedom' yesterday," he said.

O' Brien who is the chief whip of TMC parliamentary party in Rajya Sabha said the seat will be filled by the All India Trinamool Congress. "We will soon announce the name of a party member who will then become a member of the Rajya Sabha."

"We wish Srinjoy well in all that he does. We wish him a speedy recovery. Our warm wishes to him and his entire family," he added.Bose was arrested by the Special Crime branch of the CBI in connection with the Saradha scam on November 21 last year. He was under treatment at the state-run SSKM hospital and was released on conditional bail late evening yesterday after his lawyers completed the required formalities.

The resignation is seen in political circes as a further embarassment to TMC at a time when the party is battling the scandal with some of its leaders alleged to be linked to Saradha chit fund and summoned by CBI for interroration time to time.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has recently said she does not want back-stabbers in the party amid some dissenting voices within it. She and her lieutenant, party secretary general Partha Chatterjee have dared fence-sitters to quit.

Bose was among the 12 Rajya Sabha members of TMC. Of them Saradha ponzi scam-accused and suspended MP Kunal Ghosh is now in jail.The court of district and session judge, Alipore, Samaresh Prasad Chowdhury yesterday granted bail to Bose after imposing three conditions - that he would not leave the country, he would not threaten witnesses and he would respond to CBI'ssummons whenever served.

He was also ordered to submit a registered surety of Rs 50,000 and cash deposit of Rs 50,000 in the state exchequer.